Naruto: Our First Kiss
by YenGirl
Summary: Sixteen year old Kakashi Hatake wakes up to the tender mercies of his self proclaimed eternal rival, Maito Gai.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes:** Hello everyone! Welcome to my first attempt at a pre-KakashixGai story. Two jonin who belong together in my opinion. Enjoy :)

 **Warnings:** None.

 **Rating:** 'T'

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

\- Story Start -

Sixteen year old Kakashi Hatake woke up to find himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He looked around, moving only his uncovered eye and realised he was in a small hut, lying on what felt like a bed.

Ah, that's right - he and Gai were on a mission to locate and take down a team of skilled rogue ninja. He had exhausted his chakra completely after using his Sharingan and the last thing he remembered was falling onto his back and Gai's concerned face filling his vision before everything went dark.

The fact that there wasn't a circle of armed ninja glowering menacingly down at him was reassuring, but Kakashi sighed. He couldn't have been out for long if he was still too weak to do more than turn his head. He was wearing his headband pulled low over his left eye, but his mask had been pulled down to below his chin. In its place was a soft cloth over his nose and mouth and, judging from the knob at the back of his head, tied there just below his headband knot.

One of Gai's large orange handkerchiefs by the smell of it.

As if his thoughts had conjured up the man, solid and familiar footsteps sounded from outside and a long shadow fell across the room.

"Ah, so you are awake, my esteemed rival!"

Gai marched over to the bed, solid and muscular and dependable. All jovial personality, huge smile, ultra white teeth... and a suspicious shine to his eyes.

"How long was I out?" Kakashi asked.

Gai leaned over and stared down at him, one large palm flat on the bed beside Kakashi's head to support his weight. Staring down at him the same way he had been staring the whole time Kakashi was unconscious, no doubt. Kakashi kept quiet, but Gai's blinding grin faltered after a moment.

"About two hours."

"I see."

Gai's grin returned full force, if somewhat... forced.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, Kakashi, I have removed your mask!"

"Why?"

"I... uh, I just wanted to make sure your jaw wasn't injured! You took a punch to the face if I recall correctly."

"No, I didn't."

"No? Well, my eyes must have deceived me then! But no matter, I made you another mask. With my handkerchief!"

Another blinding grin burst forth.

"Hn."

"Don't worry, it's clean. I only used it once. Or twice."

They stared at each other before Gai shifted on his feet.

"Should I put your mask back on then?"

"Yes."

Gai nodded. His hand flipped onto its back and slid around the back of Kakashi's head, cupping and lifting it with ease. Deft fingers of his other hand pulled at the lower knot and withdrew the makeshift mask.

Feeling exposed and a little vulnerable, Kakashi waited for his own mask to be pulled up in place.

\- o -

Gai froze, both hands now flat on the bed on either side of Kakashi's head, arms straight and locked at the elbows. He stared down at the masterpiece that was Kakashi's unveiled face, one he had already committed to memory over the past two hours. The pale smooth skin and the right heavy lidded eye that crinkled in the most adora - ehm, that crinkled when he smiled. The straight slim nose, narrow jaw and perfectly normal looking lips.

Nothing really out of the extraordinary, but arrange them all together on the face of his eternal rival and best friend and the result was astoundingly good. Very, very easy on the eye.

"Why do you hide it? Your face?" he found himself whispering.

"I have my reasons."

Kakashi didn't whisper, but his voice was so soft he might as well have. Then he cleared his throat.

"My mask, Gai."

"Oh. Right."

Gai nodded and hooked his index finger in the soft dark blue material below Kakashi's chin. Then he stared blankly down at it as if he had no idea what it was.

"Pull it up for me?" Kakashi prompted, his tone neither a command nor a plea.

Gai nodded again and started pulling up the mask. Then he froze.

Wait.

They were both alone right now. More importantly, Kakashi was unmasked and quite unable to move.

Was Gai not going to do _anything_ about it? Really?

Placing his palms flat on the bed again, he slowly bent his elbows. A bit... and then a bit more. And more still until his face was hovering over Kakashi's, seeing that uncovered eye grow wide. Only six inches separated their mouths, warm breaths starting to mingle. Kakashi's remained slow and even, but Gai's turned shallow - unforgivable, considering the countless hours he had devoted to mastering every part of his body.

He wasn't going to back down though. Maito Gai never did. He would steal a kiss from his beautiful rival or be haunted for the rest of his life if he didn't. A quick one. Just a peck on the lips. Kakashi couldn't - wouldn't - _shouldn't_ \- kill him for this, should he?

Yes, they were rivals, but they were trusted rivals!

So - a kiss. Yes. Gai deserved this much. He bent closer until their lips were just an inch apart and then he stopped, cursing himself mentally. He couldn't. He would be kissing someone who wouldn't be able to stop him.

It wouldn't be fair.

"Why are you stopping?"

Guy swallowed, a litany of _stupid, idiot, baka_ and the like echoing ceaselessly through his brain.

"I don't know," he said on a groan.

"You know I can't stop you."

"I know."

A raised eyebrow signaled Kakashi's puzzlement.

"Because you didn't say yes," Gai confessed at last. He was nothing if not an honest person.

"Well, you didn't ask."

Gai's eyes opened wide at that, bushy eyebrows shooting up.

"Can I-"

"No."

Gai's nostrils flared as he uttered another groan, made up of one part amusement and three parts pain. It sounded a lot like an animal dying.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a deep breath to center his thoughts as well as compress - as tightly as he could - the destruction going on inside his chest. Then optimism surged up inside him again, _eternal_ and _youthful_ optimism, full of hot blooded passion. And with it came realisation.

"But you can't stop me now, my esteemed rival," Gai pointed out quietly.

"You are right. I can't."

Oh.

 _Ohh._

With renewed resolve, Gai closed his eyes as well as the gap between them. He had never kissed anyone before and he didn't want to botch it up. His lips were wet while Kakashi's were dry, but the resultant touch was... oh so soft.

They stayed like that for several moments, just touching and breathing, eyes squeezed shut. Then just as Gai started to raise his head, Kakashi's lips puckered. Gai jerked back in shock, eyes flying wide open again.

"You kissed me back," he said in wonderment before a joyful grin burst forth. "You kissed me _back,_ rival."

"I did not." Kakashi glanced to the side, looking bored.

"You so did!" Gai insisted, now grinning from ear to ear. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Kakashi's again, tilting his head to make them fit better. This time, Kakashi's lips puckered almost immediately, moulding to his.

With his heart pounding away in triumph, Gai lifted his head and gave another blinding grin.

"You kissed me _back_ , Kakashi!"

Kakashi just huffed. He looked bored as usual, but there was a slight pink in his cheeks. Gai beheld that wondrous image for as long as he could until his vision wavered and blurred, thanks to the flood of inevitable tears.

"I did not," Kakashi said, "but if a drop of that snot lands on me, you are _so_ dead."

Gai stopped grinning just long enough to wipe the back of one hand across his runny nose.

"I am _not_ crying."

"Yeah, sure you're not."

Kakashi's uncovered eye and lips were smiling, and his voice had turned very gentle.

That was it. Gai straightened up and rushed out of the hut. He blew his nose on the handkerchief he found clutched in his hand, the resultant loud honk scaring a flock of birds out of a nearby tree.

He wasn't crying. OK, so he was, but they were manly tears, and only because he was relieved he wasn't dead yet. Well, of course he wasn't. Kakashi was powerless right now, unable to move or get up from the bed, let alone fight him in any way, method or form.

Of course Gai could still end up dead later, but there was no denying Kakashi had kissed him back. Putting his hands on his hips, Gai gave the trees around him his trademark toothy grin complete with sparkle. He would stay with Kakashi until he recovered his strength and then the two of them would return home to the Leaf Village.

"Gai. My _mask._ "

Blinking, Gai turned to head back into the hut, his grin widening further. He would steal another kiss - or a few more - from Kakashi before pulling up his mask for him.

Just because he could.

And also because there really was no telling how fast his esteemed rival would recover.

\- Story End -

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! *nervous smile* So... how was it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes:** Hello again everyone! Thank you once more for your wonderful reviews for the first chapter! You've all persuaded me to write the second one so I hope you enjoy it just as much :)

 **Warnings:** None.

 **Rating:** 'T'

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

\- Chapter Start -

Seventeen year old Maito Gai opened his eyes and squinted up at a canopy of leaves, pinpoints of sunshine showing through. He looked around and found himself lying in a small clearing, the ground dappled with sunshine.

Ah, that's right - he and Kakashi were on a two man mission to retrieve a stolen scroll. They managed to confront the thieves who turned out to be three jonin level ninja. Gai had exhausted his chakra completely after opening the Fifth Gate to take down two of them. The last thing he remembered was collapsing to the ground, Kakashi's alarmed voice calling out his name before everything went dark.

He didn't see any of those rogue ninja around which was reassuring, but where was Kakashi?

As if his thoughts had conjured up his eternal rival, familiar footsteps sounded with the soft crunch of dry leaves. A shadow fell across his face.

"Awake now, Gai?"

Kakashi crouched down beside him; slender, skilled, serious... and completely dry eyed at the close shave his teammate had had.

"How long was I out?" Gai asked. He wasn't pouting. It wasn't as if his life had been in real danger, wasn't as if he had opened the Eighth Gate or anything like that.

Kakashi sat cross legged on the ground and rested his hands on his knees, his uncovered eye darting around the clearing.

"About an hour."

"I see."

"I'm sure you've noticed we're not at that cliff side anymore. We should be reasonably safe here while you recover your strength."

Gai nodded and wondered how Kakashi had carried him here.

Over one shoulder like a sack of rice?

Piggyback style with Gai's face buried in that mass of soft silver hair?

Or bridal -

Gai gritted his teeth, keeping his question firmly behind them.

"I owe you one, rival," he said instead.

Kakashi's uncovered eye crinkled at him in that adora - never mind.

"Let's call it even," he suggested. "You took care of me during our last mission together."

Gai beamed up at him. Kakashi remembered! Well, of course he did; Kakashi was a prodigy and his memory - like every last bit of him - was exceptional. Not that Gai would ever tell him _that._

Besides, said mission was only two weeks ago. Fourteen days in which neither of them had had a chance to talk about what happened. Gai had been sent on another mission the morning after they returned to the Leaf Village while Kakashi was laid up in the hospital. When Gai returned almost a week later, he found Kakashi had been sent on another mission. And so it went until they were finally paired up again this morning.

There hadn't been a chance to talk about it then either; retrieving the scroll was of utmost importance. Kakashi had set a blistering pace which Gai was able to keep up with. But now that the scroll was inside Kakashi's pack and they had some time to themselves...

Biting his lip, Gai wondered how to broach the subject. He watched absently as Kakashi fished out a flask and unscrewed the top. The jonin half turned away as he started to pull down his mask and then he froze, his uncovered eye going to Gai.

Gai stopped breathing at once. His heart started to pound faster but time slowed down, each second dragging out with the memory of their tentative kisses between them.

"Don't turn away, Kakashi," he said. "I know what you look like, remember?"

Kakashi didn't move at first and Gai almost turned blue in the face as he waited, still not breathing.

Finally, Kakashi shrugged and pulled down his mask in one quick motion, his uncovered eye closing as he took a drink.

Gai took in several noisy gulps of life giving oxygen as he stared. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't stop himself. He continued staring even after Kakashi lowered the flask and returned his look, that same silence stretching between them once more. Until...

"So."

"So."

Great. They had spoken together.

"You first," Gai offered.

"Are... are you thirsty?" Kakashi asked, holding up his still opened flask. His other hand was gripping the cap, fingers tightly clenched around it.

"No. I - I mean, yes!" Gai would have smacked himself in the head if he had been able to lift his hand. He had his own flask, but Kakashi was offering! "Yes, I am. Very thirsty."

It was true, he told himself, he was parched all of a sudden. His mouth got drier when Kakashi balanced the cap on his own knee before sliding a hand under Gai's head and lifting it a few inches off of the ground. It got drier still when Kakashi shifted closer, that same hand sliding further to clasp Gai's shoulder, causing his head to fall in the crook of Kakashi's elbow.

The mouth of the flask was placed at Gai's lips and he drank.

Drank down the cool water which tasted like the sweetest drink on earth because it was from Kakashi's flask and his lips had already touched it.

Drank in the sight of his esteemed rival's beautiful face so close to his, that one grey eye focused on his lips.

It was all Gai could do to swallow the water without choking.

\- o -

Kakashi knew he was staring, but he couldn't stop himself. He continued staring even after Gai drained the contents of his flask. He had kissed those lips two weeks ago, or rather, been forced to kiss them. Again and again.

No. That wasn't true. Gai hadn't forced him. In fact, his sense of honour would have made him back off if not for Kakashi's subtle goading. Not that Kakashi would ever tell him _that._ He slid his arm out from Gai's shoulders and recapped the flask.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Kakashi kept back his flask before reaching for the soft blue cloth under his chin. It was an automatic gesture, but a hand shot out lightning fast, strong fingers closing around his wrist.

"No. Don't."

They stared at each other.

"You can move again," Kakashi said, pointing out the obvious.

"A little," Gai replied. "Not enough to sit up and kiss you though."

Kakashi's lips twitched. He should have known Gai wouldn't beat about the bush, not with that determined glint in his eyes.

"I'm quite sure you could run all the way back home if you really wanted to," he countered.

Gai didn't even blink.

"Don't change the subject, Kakashi. I really want to kiss you," he said solemnly.

Kakashi's expression didn't change, but his heartbeat quickened.

"Why?"

Gai's cheeks turned pink, but he didn't break eye contact.

"Because I haven't been able to think of anything else for the past two weeks," he confessed in that same serious tone.

Kakashi exhaled softly. He supposed two Gai confessions equaled one Kakashi confession... more or less.

"Me either," he admitted, his lips quirking when Gai's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up.

"So you did enjoy them, my esteemed rival!" The sheer volume of Gai's declaration made Kakashi wince. A ripe plum fell out of a nearby free, followed by a few more.

"I didn't say that!" Kakashi quickly denied. One admission was more than enough for Gai to blow things out of proportion; Kakashi didn't dare think what a second one would do.

Seeing Gai's eyes starting to brim with tears, Kakashi gave another quick glance around before bending down until his lips were a scant inch from Gai's. Then he stopped.

"Why are you stopping?" Gai whispered.

"I don't know."

"You know I can't do anything right now."

"I know."

Slowly, Kakashi closed the gap between them, intending it to be a quick peck on the lips - he didn't want to come across as desperate. As soon as their lips met, a large hand cupped the back of his head and pressed it down firmly.

"Mpff!"

"Kiss me," Gai whispered against his lips.

At least that was what Kakashi thought he said; it sounded more like 'Khiff vee'.

"Mpff!" Kakashi struggled to raise his head. When he felt the pressure of Gai's hand lighten, he jerked his head up, annoyed.

"You were squashing our mouths together!" he scolded.

Gai squirmed and looked sheepish.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. I was afraid you would..." he trailed off.

Kakashi narrowed his uncovered eye at him.

"You were afraid I would what?"

Gai squirmed again.

"Ehm. Not... kiss me properly."

"Are you saying I don't know how to kiss?" Kakashi demanded. Granted, the entire sum of his kissing experience was with Gai two weeks ago, but-

"No! No, that's not what I meant!" Gai protested, looking dismayed. "You kissed wonderfully! I... I was afraid you would just give me a brief one and that would be it."

Staring down at that earnest face, Kakashi exhaled. Gai was more intelligent than he let on and a lot more intelligent than other people gave him credit for. He had already guessed what Kakashi planned to do and circumvented it, almost without him realising it.

"I won't," Kakashi promised and lowered his head again.

The resultant kiss was long, slow and immeasurably sweet, leading to a few more that had them grinning like fools when they parted.

Kakashi was still smiling when he pulled up his mask, ignoring the loud groan of protest from Gai. He should quit while he was still ahead... because there really was no telling what Gai would do once he recovered his strength.

\- Story End -

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! Please do leave a comment if you enjoyed it :)


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